On November 29, Henry Kissinger died at his home in Connecticut at the age of 100. This former U.S. secretary of state has left a mark on U.S. history. Looking back on Kissinger's life, he made outstanding contributions to shaping the world leadership of the United States with his outstanding diplomatic wisdom and profound political attainments.
Kissinger's life is legendary, he was born in Germany on May 27, 1923, but spent a stormy youth in the United States. At the age of 15, Kissinger immigrated to the United States with his family to escape the Nazi German army. This experience not only tempered his tenacious character, but also became his original intention to persist in the pursuit of international peace.
Kissinger's ingenuity quickly rose to prominence in the United States. Not only did he receive a scholarship at Harvard University, but he also became assistant director of the university's Center for International Relations. In the 1968** election, he served as an adviser to New York Governor Rockefeller in a fierce political battle with Nixon. However, despite his initial disagreement, Nixon took a fancy to Kissinger's political vision and recruited him into the core staff team.
In 1969, Kissinger was invited by Nixon to serve as an assistant to the government and became one of his most trusted advisers. In this position, Kissinger relied on his diplomatic skills to carry out secret diplomatic mediation to end the Vietnam War, and finally signed the Paris Peace Agreement in 1973, making immortal contributions to the realization of peace negotiations in Vietnam.
As secretary of state, Kissinger's influence in the diplomatic arena reached its peak. He enjoyed a transcendent position in Nixon** and appeared on the cover of Time magazine at least 15 times. As the first foreign-born U.S. secretary of state, he has been instrumental in shaping U.S.-China and U.S.-Russia relations, particularly in normalizing U.S.-China relations.
Kissinger's diplomatic wisdom is not only reflected in Sino-US relations, but he also shows outstanding mediation skills on the Middle East issue. In 1975, Kissinger brokered the signing of a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel through several shuttles, bringing precious peace to the Middle East.
However, Kissinger's life was not all smooth sailing. Declassified documents have revealed that in 1976, in a conversation with Argentine Prime Minister Guzetti, he agreed to the Argentine military to launch a coup d'état to seize power. This history makes one wonder whether Kissinger has crossed the moral bottom line at some moments and has become the focus of attention from the outside world.
Not only did he play an important role in the diplomatic arena during Kissinger's political career, but in 2002 he was appointed chairman of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the 911 attacks. However, the fact that he resigned less than two weeks into his new role due to a potential conflict of interest also underscores the complexities of his role as a politician.
Kissinger's longevity not only made him a legend in the history of American diplomacy, but also allowed him to remain active in Sino-American relations after his retirement. Despite the current tense environment of Sino-US relations, Kissinger has repeatedly called on the two sides to avoid a "new Cold War" and advocated resolving differences through dialogue.
Looking back at the life of this diplomatic champion, we cannot avoid his bright side, nor can we ignore his controversial aspects. In the long course of history, Kissinger has left a profound mark on American foreign policy, and his life is full of legends. Finally, let's consider the question: how will Kissinger's diplomatic legacy affect the current world landscape?What do you think of his political legacy?